Western Sizzlin vs Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Western Sizzlin vs Hickory River Smokehouse including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Investment $811,000 - $2,300,000$400,000 - $800,000
Franchise Fee $30,000$18,000
Royalty Fee 3%4%
Advertising Fee --
Year Founded 19622006
Year Franchised 19652006
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Term Of Agreement 20 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/-
Equipment No/No-/-
Inventory No/No-/-
Receivables No/No-/-
Payroll No/No-/-

Training & Support
 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
Training --
Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives-
Marketing Ad slicks-
Operations 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40

Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (90% of current franchisees are owner/operators)

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Expansion Plans
 
Western Sizzlin Franchise
Hickory River Smokehouse Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion No-
International Expansion No-

Company Overviews

About Western Sizzlin

WesterN SizzliN serves only the finest steaks. In the cooking process, our steaks are specially seasoned with Gold Dust, a WesterN SizzliN proprietary recipe. The combination of the Pascarellas original cooking technique and one-of-a-kind seasoning brought Nick and his wife Nora, an impeccable reputation for serving the most succulent tasting steak around. As one of our franchisees says, "We've got a special juicy flavor that only WesterN SizzliN has!" But don't just take our word for it, ask anyone who has ever had one, and they'll tell you about it. Nick's concept was just too good to keep to himself. In 1966 he responded to requests and began selling franchises nationally. By 1988, Nick's "steakhouse" had grown into a national chain with yearly sales of nearly half a billion dollars!

About Hickory River Smokehouse

To understand why Hickory River Smokehouse, a small, quickservice restaurant chain based in Tipp City OH, Champaign-Urbana IL, is without a doubt one of the Best Undiscovered Franchises in our solar system, you need to understand two things. The first is Barbecue. The second is Brad & Krista Bowman. What you need to know is that Barbecue is a religion. There is no more passionate of a congregation than the devotees of Barbecue.
Hickory River Smokehouse serves real Texas barbecue, in the tradition of the legendary barbecue pits that Brad, literally, visited and studied from one end of the Lone Star state to the other.
The Bowmans created Hickory River Smokehouse to provide authentic, incredible Texas-style barbecue to the rest of the country without compromising flavor or quality. A powerful advantage of the Hickory River Smokehouse concept and product line is its suitability for both take-out and off-premise catering business, two of the most highly prized revenue centers in the restaurant industry. To find out more about this tasty opportunity, you need to contact Brad Bowman or request some more information right away. But be forewarned: you may gain a few pounds before you even get through training. Voted as one of the Top 10 Best Undiscovered Franchises by IdeaFarm, Hickory River Smokehouse and its "Real Texas Barbecue" may be your true ground-floor opportunity to join a Brand with broad appeal and unlimited growth potential. By smoking all meats on site, we create the most tender, flavorful meats possible, then serve it with our proprietary Texas-style barbecue sauce. With complete support, begin building your net worth with our unique concept and be an entrepreneur.